Thursday, November 21

Baton Rouge, La - The Southern University Ag Center worked diligently
to support student members of the Minorities
in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), in their effort
to make a difference in the community this Thanksgiving season. The
Southern University MANRRS chapter held a sweet potato sale, food
and clothing drive at the SU Ag Center on November 21. The student organization
was very active before and during the food and clothing drive. Following the event, the students will give the food and clothing collected to WBRZ's Feed A Family for distribution.

“The support from the community was huge. I’m excited that we can help somebody during this
Thanksgiving season,” said Robert Chambers, doctoral student in urban forestry,
and Region I Graduate Student Vice-President for MANRRS.

“Since this is our first time ever to hold a food and
clothing drive, it is amazing how much food and clothing items have been
contributed. In the past we only did the sweet potato sale, and now we’re
expanding to feed and clothe the needy in our community,” said Tanyatta Mayo,
senior in dietetics program.

To ask questions, place an order, or drop off items, please
contact Zanetta Augustine at 225-771-2591.

Baton
Rouge, La - The Southern University Ag Center has received funding to replicate
the 4-H LIFE Continuation-Only project, engaging 50 youth, the incarcerated
parent, and the caregiver at both the St. Landry and East Baton Rouge Parish
Prisons. The National 4-H Council has issued a letter of intent to award
a grant in the amount of $71,425.28 under the 4-H National Mentoring Program –
OJJDP Award 2013-JU-FX-0022 – to Southern University. The Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funds the 4-H Living Interactive
Family Education (4-HLIFE) through the National 4-H Council. Subsequently, the Council
provides a request for application to qualified candidates to apply for the
funds. There is stiff completion for the grants since applicants include Tech
Wizards, 4-H Youth and Families with Promise – 4H YFP, and 4H LIFE. The SU Ag
Center has been a sub-awardee to 4-H Council for four years.

The
program is set up to replicate Missouri’s program that has been operating
successfully over the past 14 years.The
SU Ag Center has been conducting the 4-H LIFE program in East Baton Rouge and
St. Landry Parishes since 2010. Over the past three years, Louisiana’s 4-H LIFE
Project has reached more than 800 individuals, including youth (ages 8-17),
inmates, and caregivers. Beginning February 2014, the age range for
qualifying youth participation will be 5-17 years old.

“The
impact is definitely positive on inmates and family members,” said Tiffany
Franklin, Principal Investigator.

The
purpose of the 4-H LIFE program is to enhance familial relationships between
incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. The program targets
youth ages 5 to 17 and seeks to reinforce critical elements that inmates,
children, and caregivers encounter during the parent’s incarceration. The
program intends to continue to use best practices to increase familial
relationships during visits, increase participation in family activities, and
inspire parents to regain control of the relationship as an authoritative
person in their child’s life even though they are incarcerated.

In
the coming year, the SU Ag Center will replicate the 4-H LIFE Continuation-Only
project, engaging 50 youth, the incarcerated parent, and the caregiver at both
the St. Landry and East Baton Rouge Parish Prisons. Each site will begin
using the Nurturing Parenting Programs by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek, who is recognized
nationally in the fields of child abuse and neglect treatment and prevention,
and parenting education. He is also the principal author of the
Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory, which is designed to assess high risk
parenting attitudes. The evidenced-based curriculum’s engaging lessons
and activities are ideal and will encourage positive interactions between the
children, inmates, and caregivers. The 4-H LIFE team has been trained to
implement all parts of the aforementioned curriculum.

The
program is directed by Tiffany Franklin, Principal Investigator and Milissia
John-Baptiste, Program Assistant. The program staff is scheduled to attend the
annual mandatory training January 6-9, 2014.

Baton Rouge, LA –The Southern
University Ag Center held
the first workshop in its Wisteria Alliance Women in Ag training series on
Saturday, November 16 at the Maurice Edmond Livestock Arena in Baker. Workshop topics
included understanding the basics of farm safety presented by Dawn
Mellion-Patin, Agricultural Specialist; handling small tools by Victoria
McMullen-Dunn, Agricultural Science Educator in East Feliciana Parish; and
making garden waste work for you, Mila Berhane, Senior Research Associate. Participants
learned how to make a picnic table in their hands-on exercise.

Friday, November 15

Baton Rouge, LA- the Southern University Ag Center’s Communities
of Color Network will host an event to mark the 2013 Great American Smoke Out
Day in the Smith-Brown Student Union Courtyard on Thursday, November 21, from
11:00 am-1:00 pm. Every year, the
America Cancer Society observes the third Thursday of November as Great
American Smoke Out Day to
encourage smokers to quit smoking for that day, with the hope that they will stop
smoking for a lifetime. Event activities will include games, prizes and
dissemination of tobacco cessation information.

The
100% Tobacco-Free Southern University System Policy provides a healthy place to live,
work and learn.

Thursday, November 14

Baton Rouge, LA –The Southern
University Ag Center will
hold the first workshop in its Wisteria Alliance training series on Saturday, November
16 at the Maurice Edmund Livestock Arena in Baker. The workshop is designed to help
women on the farm or those interested in gardening to sharpen their skills. The
training is open to the public at no cost.

Training
starts at 8:30 am, and ends at 2:00 pm. Topics in breakout sessions will
include handling small tools, small engine maintenance, and making garden waste
work for you.

Wednesday, November 13

Baton Rouge, La - the Southern University Ag Center is
working with a student organization, Minorities in Agriculture,
Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), to reach
out to surrounding communities this Thanksgiving season. The Southern University MANRRS chapter
is sponsoring a Sweet Potato Sale, along with a Food and Clothing Drive. The
deadline for the Sweet Potato orders is Nov.
15. The last day to bring items for the Food and Clothing Drive is November 21. Your support is highly anticipated
and appreciated. The attached flyer contains full details. Thanks!

The event will take place on Thursday, November 21 from noon-3:00 pm at the SU Ag Center-A.O. Williams Hall.

To ask questions, place an order, or drop off items, please
contact Zanetta Augustine at 225-771-2591.

Monday, November 11

Baton Rouge, LA - Team SU Ag Center is set to participate
in the 2013 Step Out to STOP Diabetes Walk.By taking part in this event, you'll be stepping out onto the streets to
help change this growing epidemic. Here are reasons you should take pride in
participating in Step Out: Walk to STOP Diabetes: about one in 10 American
adults now has diabetes; Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death by
disease in the U.S.; one out of every three Americans born today will develop
diabetes in their lifetime if present trends continue.

It's Not a Walk for Heart Disease, Stroke or Kidney
Disease. And Yet It Is! Diabetes can, and does, lead to a wide range of other
serious health complications.

“I welcome you to join or simply support our team and
help make a difference to millions of Americans living with diabetes, as well
as the other 20 million at risk for developing this life changing disease,”
says Erica-Williams Mitchel, Team SU Ag Center leader. “Won’t you please join me in
such an important event and help take steps towards preventing and curing this
deadly disease?”

There are several ways that you can join the team or give
a tax-deductible donation:

Thursday, November 7

BATON
ROUGE, LA — The Center for Rural and Small Business Development in the Southern
University Agricultural Research and Extension Center will hold a free
‘Business Development Training’ from 6:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, November 18 at the Rose of Sharon Baptist
Church, 1401 Martin Luther King Drive, in Alexandria, La.

The
seminar is free and open to all current and potential small business owners.
Participants will learn how to start or expand an existing business; receive
the forms and applications needed to legally operate a business in the state of
Louisiana, information to ensure that an existing business continues to operate
efficiently, business etiquette information and marketing techniques to help
promote your business.

To
receive additional information about the Center for Rural and Small Business
Development or its E-Learning Center, contact Eual Hall, LaKeeshia Giddens or
Sonja Butler at 225.771.2242.

Baton
Rouge, La -The Center for Rural and Small Business Development in the Southern
University Agricultural Research and Extension Center will hold a free
‘Business Development Training’ from 5
p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 14 at the Thomas Jason Lingo Community
Center, 10284 Highway 17 South, in Oak Grove, La.

The
seminar is free and open to all current and potential small business owners.
Participants will learn how to start or expand an existing business; receive
the forms and applications needed to legally operate a business in the state of
Louisiana, information to ensure that an existing business continues to operate
efficiently, business etiquette information and marketing techniques to help
promote a business.

Tuesday, November 5

Baton
Rouge, La - The Center for Rural and Small Business Development in the Southern
University Agricultural Research and Extension Center will hold a free ‘Business
Development Training’ from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12 at the
Visitor’s Center, 124 North Washington Street, in Bastrop, La.

The
seminar is free and open to all current and potential small business owners.
Participants will learn how to start or expand an existing business; receive
the forms and applications needed to legally operate a business in the state of
Louisiana, information to ensure that an existing business continues to operate
efficiently, business etiquette information and marketing techniques to help
promote your business.

To
receive additional information about the training or the Center for Rural and
Small Business Development, contact Eual Hall, LaKeeshia Giddens or Sonja
Butler at 225.771.2242.

Mr. James Snowden, first time attendee, hugs his young vegetable plants

Baton Rouge, LA - The SU Ag Center held a
Community Garden Workshop today,November 4, 2013 from 10 am – 3 pm in A. Williams Hall. The workshop
featured fall vegetables suitable for Louisiana weather, in the yard or in
containers. Topics of discussion and related hands-on activities centered on community,
school, and container gardens.

The training culminated in potting fall vegetable by participants who then took their seedlings home to grow and nurture for healthy eating. This event, like many others, is geared towards reducing food deserts, encouraging physical activities, and healthy living.